1. Field
One or more embodiments of the present invention relate to a method of analyzing a target nucleic acid sequence.
2. Description of the Related Art
Methods of analyzing a target nucleic acid sequence are known in the art. For example, methods of analyzing a target nucleic acid sequence include a method of directly analyzing a target nucleic acid sequence. However, methods of directly analyzing a target nucleic acid sequence are often inappropriate when a large number of different target nucleic acids need to be analyzed.
Other methods of analyzing a target nucleic acid sequence include a Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (“RFLP”) method, an allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (“PCR”) method, a Southern blot method or a Northern blot method. However, these methods are expensive and time consuming. In addition, these methods are also inappropriate when a large number of different target nucleic acids need to be analyzed at once.
Additional methods of analyzing a target nucleic acid sequence include a method using a microarray. According to this method, a plurality of probe nucleic acids having known sequences are immobilized on distinct regions of a substrate, and then, the immobilized probe nucleic acids are hybridized with a target nucleic acid. Detection of a target nucleic acid using a microarray is achieved when a target nucleic acid complementary to an immobilized probe nucleic acid hybridizes with the probe and is thus retained on the microarray surface. For example, an aqueous solution containing fluorescent-labeled nucleic acids can be applied to the surface of a microarray to let the nucleic acids hybridize to complementary probes on the microarray surface. The solution is then removed and only target nucleic acids hybridized to the probes on the microarray surface are retained after the procedure. By detecting fluorescence of the fluorescent material labeling the nucleic acids hybridized to probes on the DNA microarray it can be determined whether any target nucleic acids complementary to the probes were present in the sample nucleic acids. Further, the sequence of a nucleic acid can be determined using a microarray, wherein the hybridization results of nucleic acid to the respective probe nucleic acids having known sequences in the distinct regions are measured and then, a target nucleic acid sequence is determined based on the measurement results. For example, the degree of hybridization of a target nucleic acid to two different probe nucleic acids which are identical to each other except for a single nucleotide sequence are compared, and based on the comparison results, it is determined whether the target nucleic acid sequence includes a sequence complementary to either of the two probe nucleic acids. However, since this method is performed based on a difference in signals that vary according to hybridization, specificity and accuracy of the sequence analysis may be low.
Accordingly, even with conventional techniques, there is still a need to develop a method of more effectively analyzing a target nucleic acid sequence.